Sticks and Stones
by freakess360
Summary: Being a cop in NYC is dangerous, and no one knows this better than Kevin Ryan. Whump! (A to Z) – starts when he is an officer and continues on, as he becomes a detective in narcotics, undercover in the mob, and a detective in homicide.
1. A is for AK-47

**Title: **_**STICKS AND STONES**_

_**Summary**_**: **Kevin Ryan Whump (A to Z) – starts when he is an officer and continues on, as he becomes a detective in narcotics, undercover in the mob, and a detective in homicide.

_**A/N**_**: I have recently become obsessed with the **_**Castle**_** universe. However, after doing a lengthy episode binge, I realized how little the show's writers focus on Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan. They have some of the most subtle jokes and witty banter. They display extreme loyalty and friendship that goes way beyond that of normal partners (and no I am not referring **_**slash**_**). But, as much as I love Castle and Beckett, I love Esposito and Ryan more. **

**I am upset with the fact that Ryan didn't have an episode to himself until "The Wild Rover". The acting was phenomenal and the writers really delved into Ryan's past and overall character. As such, this episode inspired me to write a series of connected one-shots to address Ryan's past. I admit the entire series of stories center around Ryan getting hurt (**_**whump**_** to the extreme) but there are plot lines and backstories that dig deeper into the character of Kevin Ryan.**

**(I do want to briefly acknowledge that the most recent season of **_**Castle**_** has focused more of Esposito and Ryan than they did in the past. And for that I am extremely grateful.)**

Happy Halloween!

**This series is an A TO Z story set. As such, expect a total of 26 chapters (or more if I decide to do an epilogue or sequel).**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Castle_ of any of its characters.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – A is for AK-47<strong>

New York City awoke with a fresh blanket of snow. The sun was still fairly low in the sky so it couldn't offer any heated rays to the concrete metropolis below. But as the sun struggled higher and higher, the wind became harsher and harsher. The people of the city, however, remained ignorant to the sun's struggle and simply cursed the wind's ferocious onslaught. Unfortunately, the harsh weather did not deter New York's Finest from going about their duty to protect and serve. One such police officer answered the call of responsibility, and now trudged through the crisp snow beside his partner.

Officer Kevin Ryan shivered as the wind fiercely bit at his back. The rookie ducked his head to prevent being blinded by the sailing snow and tugged the edges of his hat lower with his uncovered, frozen fingers. Suddenly, a patch of black ice aided the wind's assault on Kevin by almost tripping the man. Cursing mildly, he wished that he had put on an extra layer beneath his new, blue uniform.

Officer Elizabeth Webb, known to her familiars as 'Spider', couldn't contain a very unladylike chortle as she watched her new partner fight against the snow and wind. Upon hearing her outburst, Kevin jerked his head sharply to the left to glare at the woman. His boyish scowl only prompted her to laugh harder. Finally, after composing herself, Elizabeth said, "Oh cheer up, kid! Its only a little snow."

"A lit- a LITTLE!" her partner choked back. "How can you call this a little?" he finally ground out, all the while arching his arms out in one grand sweeping motion.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Probably because its only two inches deep and already melting. Besides, I happen to like the snow. It also helps that it deters crime because all you silly, snow-haters do," she pointed accusingly at Kevin, "is stay inside."

"That's true." Kevin dropped his arms, not willing to argue with the senior officer's logic.

"I know it is, kid. I've been on these streets long enough to know."

Elizabeth and Kevin turned the corner and started to walk down an adjacent street. The tall apartment buildings of the neighborhood provided a wall between the officers and the wind, granting them a brief reprise.

The two had already been on patrol for nearly four hours and Kevin was growing tired of walking. If he could feel his feet he would certainly be complaining that they were sore. The female officer beside him seemed to notice his fatigue. Looking around for a place to rest, Elizabeth spotted a diner. Its warm, welcoming glow shone from across the street. Looking at her rookie partner again, she asked, "Wanna grab a brew?"

After a few seconds passed, Elizabeth glanced over at Kevin when he failed to respond to her question. She liked the kid, she really did. Though, the raven-haired woman will admit that she had her doubts when the Captain had called her into his office three days ago only to introduce to her a wide-eyed, bushy-tailed rookie that needed to be trained. Reluctantly she agreed. After all, she was the only one currently without a partner, not that she minded. But it only took a few hours for her educated, skilled eyes to note that the kid was good – dare she say great – at his job. He effortlessly pried information from a drugged-up teen, filled out accident reports with ease, gracefully talked down a hysterical mother, and even made a decent cup of coffee out of the horribly old machine in the break room. And that was only on his first day!

Observing Kevin's tired expression Elizabeth grabbed his elbow and started to direct him across the street.

"Where are we going?" the rookie questioned, confused.

"We are going to grab a quick coffee and warm up."

Surprised, Kevin readily agreed. "Oh, okay."

After waiting for a car to pass, the two strode across the street and let themselves into the diner. Heat instantly hit their faces, causing their cheeks to flush with color. Surveying the establishment, Elizabeth noted only three other patrons: an elderly man drinking at the counter and a young couple eating in a far booth. Nodding to herself, she walked up to the counter. Kevin dutifully followed behind his senior officer.

A few minutes later the officers were sitting in a booth by the door, sipping extremely hot cups of dark roast coffee. From their position Elizabeth could watch the diner's entire interior while having the capability to see anyone who entered the establishment. Kevin, on the other hand, rested his right cheek on his palm and dreamily gazed out the window. It was still too early in the morning for the normal 9-to-5 workers to be up and about. A few night employees shuffled passed the diner's window on their way home, weaving between paperboys, delivery trucks, taxis, and the random insomniacs that clogged the streets.

When Kevin first graduated from the police academy he sincerely thought that he was going to be a pencil pusher for one of the departments. After all, that was standard. Almost everyone out of his graduating class was spread out through the whole city and, from those he kept in contact with, all of them worked a desk job at one station or another. He was the only one that was immediately placed out in the field. Granted he was only walking a beat but that was still more action then his peers were experiencing. Over the past couple days he had always been wondering why that was. He wasn't exceptional in anyway; he wasn't top of his class, his shooting skills were strictly average, he looked too young to be a cop, and he was still learning about fieldwork. And yet on the day he graduated Captain Montgomery of the 12th precinct approached him. He had asked the Captain why he was chosen to go directly into fieldwork but the man only replied that he was special. Whatever that meant. Clearly he wasn't special enough to get assigned a high profile neighborhood or a beat that wasn't set in the early morning when nothing happened.

Sighing, the rookie took another sip of coffee and shifted slightly to look at his partner. Elizabeth Webb was a piece of work. Kevin couldn't help but admire her even though he practically knew nothing about her. He was street smart, resourceful, motherly, sarcastic, and a hell of a good cop. He had heard amazing stories about her while at the academy but he never thought that he would meet her, let alone be her new partner. It was rumored that she had taken down five armed gang members without backup when she was only two weeks out of the academy. It was the biggest bust made by a female rookie in NYPD history. As such, it was said she was promoted to be a Sargent right then and there but turn it down! That was unspeakable. In fact, it was said that Elizabeth laughed at the Captain who offered her the job. Since then she has received more medals of bravery than any beat cop before her. At thirty-five years Elizabeth had passed up ten different promotions and refused to be moved to a nicer neighborhood or a later timetable. On his first day Kevin tried to ask her why she didn't take any of the promotions. Elizabeth had just smiled, shrugged, and said, "Why not?"

The memory made him grin. Elizabeth noticed this and asked, "What cha smirking at, kid?"

"Nothing in particular," he shrugged.

"Uh huh," the female officer vocalized through tight lips. "Define nothin'."

His grin slightly grew as he shrugged his shoulders again and finished his coffee.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow before following his example and downing the rest of her warm drink. "Whatever. Let's go; we have a few more hours before we need to report back to the precinct."

Just then, as she exited the booth, the door of the diner jingled open and two masked men entered. Unfortunately, Kevin's back was to the door and he didn't notice the men until it was too late. The bigger of the two took this to his advantage by slamming the butt of his AK-47 into the crown of the rookie's head.

Stars exploded before Kevin's eyes. He heard screams and a round of shots go off. The young officer tried to reach for his service weapon but he didn't get far before the gun slammed into his skull again. Kevin crumpled into the booth, his head smacking the window before he passed out.

~o~o~

Officer Kevin Ryan didn't know how long he had been unconscious. His head pounded and vision blurred. The young man's hand shook violently as it came in contact with the wet, sticky blood that dripped from the gash on his head and ran down the back of his neck. He swallowed dryly and licked his chapped lips.

Suddenly, a cry of pain cut through the air. Shifting from his slumped position in the booth, Kevin looked around the diner. The elderly gentleman who had been sitting at the counter earlier was now hiding underneath the barstool. The couple from the far booth was kneeling near the older man. The young woman cradled her red, already bruising, cheek in her hands. The other two had their hands raised in the universal gesture of surrender. One of the armed assailants had his back facing Kevin as he threatened the hostages in front of him. He was short and stocky. The gunman wore jeans, grey gloves, a black ski mask, and a heavy, tan winter jacket. In his hand he held a sawed off shotgun with extra caps attached to the belt of his pants.

Kevin frowned slightly when he didn't see the other masked man, the diner worker, or his partner. As not to alert the attacker, the rookie officer slowly sank low into the cushions of the booth before rolling underneath the table. Once he settled in a squatting position Kevin removed his service weapon from its holster. The movements made the top of his head nudge the underside of the table. Kevin sucked in a breath as a hot flash of agony shot throughout his skull. He briefly closed his eyes as he regained control of his pain-filled body. When he opened his eyes he looked up and saw his partner. Elizabeth kneeled uncomfortably on the ground on the far edge of the diner's counter near the kitchen doors. Her arms were twisted behind her back and cuffed – Kevin guessed with her own police issued handcuffs – to the barstool. Kevin couldn't spot any injuries or blood so he assumed that she was relatively unharmed.

He shifted slightly to get a better view of the diner, careful not to hit his head on the table again. The movement caught Elizabeth's eye. She turned her head to gaze at her young partner. She could easily see the blood dripping from the gash on his head, but what really worried her was the fact that his eyes seemed to be unfocused and glazed with pain.

Elizabeth prayed that Kevin wouldn't do anything reckless in his condition. So, quickly catching his attention, she signaled to him by batting her eyelashes in Morse code. She desperately hoped that he would get the massage, after all he had just recently graduated from the police academy and it was required of all officers-in-training to learn the simple code of dots and dashes. With any luck he had remembered all of his lessons.

She watched the rookie crinkle his eyebrows at her. After a second or two his eyes widened slightly and nodded. And blinked back to tell her he had received her message.

Abruptly, the armed assailant stalked over to the incapacitated female officer and stood in front of her. Though his shotgun was still trained on the other three hostages the masked man's undivided attention was on Elizabeth.

"Don't even think about movin' cop. I'm just ichin' to pump some lead." His voice was deep and scratchy but Kevin could clearly tell that the man wasn't bluffing; his fingers were constantly jumping toward the trigger.

Elizabeth smiled sweetly. "Didn't even cross my mind."

"Good."

Then, just as the gunman glanced over at the other hostages, Elizabeth swung her legs out and kicked the man's knees. He gave a muffled cry before crashing to the tiled floor, temporarily stunned. And, before the masked man could reorient himself, the senior officer opened her legs and wrapped them around the man's neck, placing him in an unbreakable chokehold.

"Now!" she hissed, applying force to the struggling figure.

Kevin rushed out from underneath the table. He kicked the man's shotgun away before he could grab it. After checking that Elizabeth had her hands – or should he say legs – full then he turned to the other three people in the room. With his gun still drawn Kevin knelt before them and said, "I need you to exit the front door as quickly as you can and call 911. I'll cover your exit."

The younger man nodded before assisting his female companion and the elderly gentlemen out of the diner. Once Kevin was assured that they were out of danger's way he turned back to his partner. He smiled grimly. The assailant's movements were much slower and weaker than before. Elizabeth's chokehold was strong and effective. It seemed her reputation definitely preceded her.

Unfortunately, both Officers Ryan and Webb forgot about the second attacker who just suddenly decided to make his appearance. The kitchen doors swung open to reveal another hostage, the diner worker, being roughly handled by an angry masked man. The gunman was tall and lean. He wore a similar outfit as his compatriot except he had a brown winter coat and handled an AK-47.

"What the hell is going on out here, man?"

The gunman stopped short when he saw that his companion was disabled and the hostages were gone. The masked man growled in anger before throwing his hostage to the ground so he could handle his semi-automatic weapon with both hands for better accuracy. The hostage took advantage of his temporary freedom and, reacting quickly, he crawled underneath a table before a rain of bullets tore from the AK-47. As the man shot towards the two cops he ran behind the diner counter. However, while giving adequate cover, his position no longer gave him a clear shot of the two police officers.

At the sound of gunfire, Kevin had scrambled backward toward a table, grabbed one of its legs, and tipped it. This gave him a little bit of protection from the hail of hot lead. But, at such a short range, there was no way a small plastic and metal table would shield him from the high velocity bullets. He needed to think quickly. Hearing the telltale click of the semi-automatic, informing him the round was spent, Kevin stood up and rushed the masked gunman before he could reload the gun. Not expecting to be attacked head on, the man dropped his empty weapon and raised his hands to deflect the assault. Kevin vaulted over the counter, fists swinging. One hand connected with the man's nose, effectively breaking it.

But the assailant refused to go down without a fight. He responded in kind and hit the young police officer in the stomach. Slightly winded, Kevin doubled over. But, from his bent position, he rushed the man, successfully tackling him to the ground. Then, looming over the unarmed attacker, the rookie pistol-whipped him with the handle of his service weapon. The man collapsed, a bruise starting to spider-web on his temple. However, before the assailant could collect himself Kevin had him handcuffed and subdued.

The masked man growled at the young officer and tried to attack him again. But Kevin aimed his weapon at the man's chest. "I dare you to even try it," threatened the rookie.

The unarmed man shook his head and frowned before slumping to the ground in defeat.

"That's what I thought."

A powerful silence fell over the diner only to be broken by the sound of approaching sirens. Within a minute, five heavily vested policemen rushed into the diner, guns drawn. But, upon seeing the situation contained, they approached their fellow officers to offer assistance.

Three cops aided in handcuffing the incapacitated man between Elizabeth legs. One, who seemed to personally know Elizabeth, said, "Woah, Spider! Looks like you found yourself a 'legs man'."

Elizabeth barked a laugh in response. "Come off it, Walker. Just get me uncuffed, will ya?"

"Whatever you say, Spider."

The other two cops slowly approached Kevin and his captive gunman. The rookie warned the officers that he was fighter. They nodded in response before carefully, but forcefully, handling the man out from behind the counter. Sighing in relief, Kevin lower his gun and put it back in his holster. Adrenalin gradually left his system, leaving him light headed. He shakily walked toward his now freed partner.

Elizabeth smiled and him and slapped him on the back. "You did a good job, kid!"

He laughed shakily, "Thanks."

He must have sounded weird because Elizabeth suddenly looked worriedly at him. But before she could ask him if he was all right he collapsed into her hands.

"Hey, kid! Kid!" the female officer shook him awkwardly. "RYAN!" she called, using his name for the first time. But the rookie couldn't hear her because he was already out cold.

~o~o~

When Kevin woke again he was in a hospital. But he was not alone. Elizabeth was sitting a chair next to his bed.

"Hey," he gruffly greeted her.

His partner looked and smiled. "Hey there, kid. Want some water?"

"Yes please."

The senior officer complied and offered him a sip from a small plastic cup. Once satisfied, he thanked her.

"So, what happened?" he eventually asked.

Elizabeth shrugged. "You fainted at the scene."

"Oh."

"Yeah, well, you deserved it."

Kevin questioningly raised an eyebrow.

The female officer laughed at the expression on his face. "That's not what I meant. I mean that you took some pretty heavy blows to the head." She leaned back in her chair before continuing. "You did a great job back there, kid. I'm impressed. You kept your cool and handled the situation like an expert. You freed the hostages without a casualty and took out one of the assailants without having to fire your weapon or seriously injure him." She paused. "I can see why Captain Montgomery chose you."

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged for a second time. "You remind me of me."

The rookie frowned. "And what does that mean exactly?"

"Look," Elizabeth said. She leaned close to look him straight in the eye as she said, "Some people are meant _to be_ cops, and some people are meant _to call_ the cops. Got it?"

Kevin nodded but winced as a flare of hot pain rushed through his skull.

"Enough talk. You need a doctor and then some rest." Then, pressing the button next to his bed, signaling for a nurse to come to the room.

A nurse responded to the call. When she noticed he was awake, she asked him if he was in pain. Kevin nodded, hissing when another flare of discomfort ran through his brain. The nurse smiled at him and told him to relax while she fetched him a doctor.

A female doctor eventually arrived and informed Kevin that he had a minor concussion and a deep gash on the back of his skull that bled profusely and required a few stiches. But the doctor assured him that he should be out of the hospital in about 24 hours. She just wanted to make sure that Kevin would be right as rain before finally being discharged.

Kevin thanked her before settling down in his hospital bed. He then turned back to his partner and curiously asked her, "What were the two guys after?"

"Apparently the diner was a front for a money laundering business. The gunmen knew about the business so they tried to hit it for three hundred thousand dollars."

Kevin whistled, impressed by the men's ambitions. Then he smirked. "And they would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for us meddling cops."

Elizabeth chortled at his reference. "Woah there, kid. There was no mystery behind this bust."

"Yeah, I guess," he grumbled, slightly disappointed.

"Don't worry, kid. The puns and one-liners will come with time. It took me a couple years before they came naturally. It's a coming of age challenge; it's kind of a way for a cop to become a man, or woman in my case."

"I'll take your word for it."

"As you should." She then glanced down at her watch. "Damn, I gotta go."

Kevin turned to gaze at his partner as she got up to leave. "What? Why?"

"Captain Montgomery said I could only stay until you woke up. I have to go back to the precinct and fill out some statements. I'll be back in a few hours."

Kevin smiled understandingly. "No problem. I'll see you later."

"Take it easy, Ryan."

The rookie's smile grew at the use of his surname. "Yes, Ma'am!"

Shaking her head at his antics, Officer Elizabeth Webb exited the hospital room. Kevin could hear her boots echo down the hall until they faded away.

And then he was all alone. Kevin finally completely sank down into his bed, allowing himself to be swallowed by the sheets. Still smiling, he couldn't help but think about his partner's earlier words: _"__Some people are meant to be cops…"_ And, for the first time since he left the academy, Kevin Ryan knew he had made the right choice in becoming a police officer.

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><p><em><strong>AN**_**: YAY! Chapter One complete. You have no idea how excited I am to be finally posting this. ****I have been working on this series for the past several months. About half of it has been already written or all the plots have been outlined. **

**Some of my plot points slightly contradict with the **_**Castle**_** universe, but none of the major ones (possibly just small side comments or remarks made during the show).**

**I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please comment and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is accepted if it allows me to become a better writer, and compliments are ALWAYS welcomed.**

**REVIEWS ARE MY BREAD AND BUTTER… SO FEED ME!**

**Coming Soon: **_B is for Brass Knuckles_


	2. B is for Brass Knuckles

**Title: **_**STICKS AND STONES**_

_**Summary**_**: **Kevin Ryan Whump (A to Z) – starts when he is an officer and continues on as he becomes a detective in narcotics, undercover in the mob, and a detective in homicide.

_**A/N**_**: Wow! I did not expect this story to be so well received. I really appreciate everyone's reviews and follows. They mean a lot to me. Shout out to all the Kevin Ryan (and ****Seamus Dever****) fans who have encouraged and supported my writing. I know some of us definitely feel that ****Kevin, Javier, and Lanie are very complex characters that deserve more plot and air time.**

**This chapter occurs during Kevin Ryan's rookie days. Here, he is still partnered with Elizabeth 'Spider' Webb. I'm going to be introducing a few more reoccurring characters in this chapter, and lay down a little more background into Kevin's life. (Next chapter is where I start introducing characters from the **_**Castle**_** TV show/universe.)**

**ENJOY!**

**This series is an A TO Z story set. As such, expect a total of 26 chapters (or more if I decide to do an epilogue or sequel).**

**Disclaimer: **I wish _Castle_ was mine, but sadly it's not.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 – B is for Brass Knuckles <strong>

Officers Kevin Ryan and Elizabeth "Spider" Webb were speeding. They had just received a call on their radio about a domestic disturbance. Unfortunately, Elizabeth recognized the address as one that she had answered four calls from already this year. The house happened to be only a few minutes drive from where the two partners had been patrolling so Elizabeth answered the call, informing the dispatcher that they would be the first responders.

It had been almost seven months since the incident at the diner. Kevin's head had healed nicely and, after three days of paid leave, he returned to the 12th precinct. Captain Montgomery greeted him back with a medal for bravery. Humbly, he had received it.

The following months had not been as interesting or death defying as his first few days on the force had been, but the rookie was simply happy to be back. Elizabeth and Kevin proved to be an excellent pair. They became a sort of "dream team" among the regular uniformed officers. Many of their peers had tried to nickname Kevin as they had Elizabeth, but everything they tried never stuck. However, one day, a fellow rookie who was retelling an epic, though exaggerated, version of Kevin's first arrest at the diner all those months ago described his tackle of the second gunman to be like "a mad bull charging at a matador". As such, Kevin was often called "Mad Bull" or "Bull", for short. Though Elizabeth simply opted to call him by his surname, Ryan.

A few months back the two officers had been moved to a bigger neighborhood and were given a squad car so they didn't have to walk everywhere. That suited Kevin just fine but it meant they had to respond to more calls while on duty. Many were simple disturbances or petty crimes but every so often they answered domestic disputes. Kevin hated these calls. It always turned his stomach to see someone abused, verbally and/or physically, by his or her partner. To Kevin it was a serious crime.

When Elizabeth and Kevin finally reached the correct address they parked right in front of the house before exiting the squad car.

"Ryan," the female addressed her partner. "I want you to offer backup. I know this couple and they know me. I think they will respond better to a familiar face. I want you to wait outside and only come in if I radio you or you hear anything go south."

Kevin wanted to argue that it was too dangerous for his partner to handle the situation alone but, instead, he simply nodded and followed his senior officer's orders. They approached the house and climbed the stairs to the small porch. Placing her hand on her service weapon that was attached to her belt, Elizabeth calmly knocked on the door.

"Mr. and Mrs. Philips. It's Officer Webb. Would you open the door please?"

They waited but no one answered the door. Elizabeth knocked on the door again and repeated her message. No noise came from the house. Sighing, the female officer tried the door only to find it unlocked.

Looking at Kevin pointedly, Elizabeth deadpanned, "I think I just heard a cry for help." She hinted that with the possibility of a citizen in danger they could enter and search the premises with out permission or a warrant.

Her partner concurred with her justification. "I think I heard it too," he fibbed.

"Change of plans," she said. "We enter the house and try to find the Philips."

Kevin nodded before following his partner's lead. Slowly they entered the house and began searching each room individually. The first floor was cleared before the two officers decided to split up and search the rest of the house. Elizabeth volunteered to go upstairs while Kevin went to investigate the basement.

The younger officer opened the basement door and, flicking on the stairwell light, called out, "This is Officer Ryan. Mr. and Mrs. Philips, are you down here?"

Pausing briefly, Kevin thought he heard some muffled noises coming from the bottom of the stairs. Curious, he carefully proceeded to shuffle down the stairs. Once he reached the bottom he squinted into the darkness, trying to see a light switch. When he couldn't find one, he unclipped the flashlight from his waist and turned it on. Sweeping the bright beam around it revealed a few cluttered tables covered in boxes and dust. Carefully picking his way across the room he call out again.

That time he knew he definitely heard something. It seemed to be coming though a door at the far end of the room. He eventually made it to the door. Kevin fumbled with the nob before realizing it was locked. He pounded loudly on the door while calling out, "Hello? Is there anyone in there?"

A muffled call followed by a thud sounded through the door. Confident he had found the missing residents of the house, the young officer told whoever was behind the door to move away so he could kick it in. After waiting for a few seconds so the occupants could comply with his request, Kevin placed a well-aimed kick at the door, effectively breaking the lock. He then entered the room. Swinging his light around he spotted a badly beaten woman in the far corner. The woman flinched at the sudden light and fearfully shrank back. Her hands were bound in front of her by what seemed to be a necktie while another was tied around the lower half of her face, acting as a gag. She was small and dark-haired. Her red-rimmed eyes contrasted her pale face. Tears fell in tracks down her dirty, bruised cheeks.

"Mrs. Philips?" Kevin gently called out. "I'm Officer Ryan. I am responding to a 911 call made by one of your neighbors. May I approach?"

The woman sluggishly nodded.

After receiving permission, Kevin rushed over to the battered woman and kneeled before her. Soothingly, he removed the gag and untied her hands before helping her to her feet.

"Can you walk?"

"Y-yes," came the shaky reply.

Placing one of her arms around his shoulders, he looped his around her midsection. Then, together, they made their way out of the room. All the while, Kevin quietly asked the woman some simple questions.

"Who did this to you?"

"My husband."

"And where is Mr. Philips now?"

"I don't know. He locked me in this room and left a while ago."

"Is there any where safe you can go? A relative or friend?"

"I have a sister who lives in Rochester."

But, before Kevin could ask the woman any more questions, the light in the basement suddenly came on. Unable to cover his eyes from the glare because he was supporting Mrs. Philips, the young officer had to squint to see the source of the light. And, as his eyes were still adjusting, the woman screamed, "LOOK OUT!"

Out of nowhere a large mass flew in their direction. In order for Mrs. Philips to avoid more injury, Kevin gently pushed her out of they way before a very angry Mr. Philips ran into him and sent him crashing backwards. Kevin cried out in pain as his lower back struck the corner of a table right before collapsing in a heap on the dirty floor.

Massaging his back and blinking to get accustomed to the light, Kevin struggled to stand up. Finally able to see properly, Kevin looked up to confront Mr. Philips. Standing before him was a fair-haired, tan, sloppily dressed male. Kevin would have thought him to be handsome if not for the grizzly scar that ran all the way across his forehead. The man was tall – at least two heads taller than Kevin – and very strong. The young officer suddenly envisioned this man picking him up and breaking him in half over his right knee. It was a terrifying thought.

Before resorting to a fight, Kevin tried to do what he did best – talking. "Mr. Philips, my name is Officer Ryan and I am responding to a 911 call that was made by one from your neighbors. Upon searching your house I discovered your wife locked in the basement. It is my duty to remove her from this unsafe environment and take her to the nearest hospi-"

Kevin was cut off before he could finish his little speech. Mr. Philips seemed to disagree with his statements so the man swung a punch in the officer's direction. Kevin ducked the punch without any real effort. He continued to duck every single punch that the huge man tried to land. This made Mr. Philips angrier. His swings became more erratic and wider. While Kevin effortlessly dodged everything he was running out of space in the cluttered basement. Thus, the officer decided to throw a few punches of his own. A few landed on Mr. Philips' face, another couple on his abdomen. But Kevin purposely didn't put much force behind his blows for fear of seriously hurting the man – not that he thought he could injury the giant man. He was cop after all; he didn't want Mr. Philips to claim police brutality.

Of course, just because Kevin played fair didn't mean Mr. Philips did. The man finally decided to up the ante by producing a pair of brass knuckles from his pocket. Slipping them on his right hand Mr. Philips took another swing at the rookie. The punch glanced off Kevin's shoulder but it didn't even cause the young man to take a step back. Angry that his blow had no effect, Mr. Philips made the classic mistake of putting all his effort into his next punch. Kevin easily sidestepped the swing and the momentum carried the larger man the rest of the way to the ground.

Confident his opponent wouldn't be moving anytime soon, Kevin turned his gaze to the distraught Mrs. Philips. "Ma'am, would you please go upstairs and inform my partner, Officer Webb, of the situation. I will keep my eye on your husband."

Mrs. Philips nodded and hastily made her way between the tables to the staircase that led to her freedom.

Meanwhile, Mr. Philips took the opportunity to attack Kevin while his back was turned. He reached out and grabbed the young man's left hand, which was closest, and twisted it, hard. Giving a shout of pain, the rookie cop kicked out. He caught his assailant in his right knee, causing him to let go of his wrist. The jerking motion of his newly freed hand added to his unbalance, spinning Kevin into Mr. Philips' line of attack. The large man's knuckles, which were now coated in brass, impacted the exact spot on Kevin's lower back were he had collided with a table earlier in the fight. And, before the rookie could properly react and move out of the way, Mr. Philips hit him again and again in exactly the same place.

Kevin quickly dove out of his attacker's range before Mr. Philips could land another powerful blow. Then, all of a sudden, Elizabeth appeared on the stairwell, gun drawn.

"FREEZE!" she shouted.

The giant of a man didn't listen and quickly approached the prostrate officer on the ground. Seeing her partner was in further danger, Elizabeth rush down the stairs and effortlessly maneuvered through the cluttered basement until she was standing in front of the large man. She aimed her service weapon at his chest. Blocked by an armed officer Mr. Philips paused. Seizing the opportunity, Elizabeth ground out, "Move and I'll make your birth certificate a worthless document."

Threatened with the thought of death, or at least serious injury, Mr. Philips raised his hands above his head.

"Drop the weapon!" Kevin's female partner ordered, gesturing with her service weapon.

The man easily slid the brass knuckles off his fingers and dropped them to the floor before raising his hands above his head once more.

"Mr. Philips you are under arrest for IPV and the battery and aggravated assault of a police officer. Do you understand?"

The man didn't respond.

"Don't make me add resisting arrest on that list. So answer! _Do you understand_?"

Mr. Philips finally ground out, "I understand."

"Good, now put your hands behind your back. Yeah, nice and slow. Officer Ryan," Elizabeth addressed her partner, "would you handcuff Mr. Philips?"

"It would be my pleasure."

A minute later they led the man up the stairs, through the house, and out the front door. Elizabeth instructed the man to sit on the steps. "No funny business," she warned. "Keep your gun on this slime bag, Ryan. Don't even let him think about running. Backup and an ambulance are on their way." The female officer then proceeded to head back inside to comfort an abused Mrs. Philips who was waiting for her on the couch in the living room.

Kevin nodded before giving his full attention to the man before him. Gun drawn, the rookie had it trained on Mr. Philips' chest. A few minutes passed before another squad car finally pulled up in front of the house. Two uniformed men exited the vehicle and walked to where Kevin was guarding Mr. Philips.

"We received a report of a domestic disturbance," the older, clearly more senior of the two men, stated.

Kevin nodded in response. "This man is under arrest for battery and aggravated assault," he informed them.

The younger officer asked, "The victim?"

"His wife. She's inside with my partner."

The men nodded. The older of the two officers offered to take Mr. Philips off Kevin's hands and place him in the squad car. He readily accepted, glad to be out of that retched man's presence at last. As the two officers loaded the man into their vehicle the ambulance arrived. Kevin walked inside to inform Elizabeth and Mrs. Philips that it was safe to emerge from the house and that the medics were here. The three exited the house together.

As Mrs. Philips was placed in the emergency vehicle Elizabeth turned to Kevin and asked, "Do you want one of the medics to check you out, kid? It looked like that guy got in a couple of good hits."

"No, I'm fine, honestly," Kevin responded. "He landed a few lucky blows, that's all."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"Okay, let's get back to the precinct so we can book this bastard."

~o~o~

The 12th precinct was crowded. Many uniformed officers were excitedly rushing around while others seemed to be preparing for a big spectacle. Upon entering the building, Kevin almost got knocked over by one particularly eager detective. Confused by the commotion, Elizabeth tightened her grip on the handcuffed Mr. Philips. Looking around the senior officer eventually spotted someone she knew. To get his attention she called out; "Hey Walker!"

A middle aged, slightly greying man looked up at the call of his name. Kevin had seen the man around the precinct before. He distinctly remembered seeing the officer hanging around break room with the detectives from Narcotics - though he didn't know why. Everyone knew the boys from Narcotics were a wild and rugged bunch. They often were subjected to intense undercover work and dangerous drug busts. As such, they were closely connected to Organized Crime – the only department more uncultivated and rowdy than Narcotics. Kevin secretly hoped he never would have to work in either of those departments.

"Hey Spider! Long time, no see," the officer, Todd Walker, commented. He slowly wound his way over to where Elizabeth, Kevin, and their detainee were standing.

"You would know," Elizabeth responded. "You never respond to my invitations to the Dugout," she said, referring to a well-known sports bar that was frequented by cops.

"Been busy."

Elizabeth nodded understandingly before gesturing to the commotion around them. "What's going on here?"

A huge grin broke out on Walker's face. "Some Narcs just busted James Ruiz! Caught him with 35 kilos of cocaine in the trunk of his car, which just happened to be stolen."

"James Ruiz?" Kevin asked, not recognizing the name.

Walker glanced at him, slightly offended, before stating, "Surely you have heard of Ruiz! He's the main drug dealer for the Latin Kings. We've been after him for years."

The Latin Kings was the biggest, most violent Latino gang currently on the streets of New York. The rookie's eyebrows shot up when he suddenly made the connection. "You mean 'King Jimmy'?"

"The one and only."

"Wow."

"I know right!" Walker exclaimed. "They're set to parade him through the station any minute. I can't wait to see the bastard. I've seen one too many of his drug mules wind up downstairs in the morgue."

Elizabeth abruptly spoke up. "That's fine and dandy, Walker. But we have our own crook to book. Do you mind?"

The young officer's face deflated. "But-" Kevin started to say before he was cut off.

"This won't be the first time you see a big bust go down. I'm sure you won't miss much."

Walker laughed. "You hit the nail on the head, Spider," he grinned before turning to face the younger man again. "Better luck next time, kid," he said, clapping him on the back.

"It's Ryan, Kevin Ryan," he introduced himself, hand out stretched to shake.

"The 'Mad Bull'?"

Kevin blushed slightly at the nickname. "Yeah."

"Pleasure's all mine," the older officer said, shaking his peer's hand. "Name's Todd Walker."

But before Kevin could say anything else, Elizabeth cut him off again. "Enough talk. Come on, Ryan, let's go."

And, without another word, the female officer marched Mr. Philips though the crowded precinct to the temporary holding cells one floor below. Kevin waved apologetically at Walker before rushing after his partner.

The two uniformed officers then proceeded to go through post-arrest procedures. Elizabeth took down all of Mr. Philips information while Kevin had him finger printed and photographed. And, thirty-five minutes later, Mr. Philips was documented and locked up behind bars for processing. Finally satisfied, Elizabeth led Kevin back to their shared desk on the main floor. Many citizens didn't know about the massive amounts of paperwork that police officers had to complete after each arrest. It was one of the least glamorous aspects of the job, but it had to be done. If not, mistakes could be made in the legal system, which led to wrongful convictions or the dismissal of a case. And, if anything, that was a cop's worst nightmare – hunting down a criminal only for them to be released due to fouled paperwork.

Kevin diligently filed out his report before handing it over to Elizabeth to review. She always had to check his work before it could be recorded in the archives. He was a rookie after all. After fixing a few minor errors Elizabeth handed it back to him with the instruction to turn it in to the Lieutenant on-duty. "Then I want you to call the hospital to get a report of Mrs. Philips' condition."

"No problem."

Standing up from his seat a sudden flash of pain raced up Kevin's lower back, where Mr. Philips had punched him repeatedly, to his abdomen. Involuntarily, he hissed at the unexpected pain.

Elizabeth heard his sharp intake and asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a little stiff from earlier," he dismissed casually.

The female officer nodded before turning back to her report.

As he walked through the bullpen, Kevin became consciously aware of a nagging pain in his back. Ignoring it he made his way over to the Lieutenant's desk. It was unoccupied so he just placed the folder on top of the "in-box" before turning to make his way back to his desk. Unfortunately he accidently knocked an empty coffee mug off of the desk. In a burst of adrenaline Kevin dove for the mug, catching it in his left hand seconds before it could smash in a thousand pieces on the ground. A flare of agony burned through Kevin's wrist as he gently placed the mug back on the Lieutenant's desk. But, as he straitened up, an acute throbbing sensation began to emit from his abdomen.

Groaning at the discomfort, the young officer decided to make a slight detour before heading back to Elizabeth. Luckily the bathroom was empty. Confident that no one would see him, Kevin slowly tugged at the corner of his blue uniform. Hitching the back of the shirt he raised it just enough to spot a horribly swollen purple bruise. He grimaced at the reflection in the mirror. There was no hiding that bruise from anyone unless he kept a shirt on at all times – not that he was planning to walk around the precinct topless. Next, he rolled his left wrist, checking for breaks. Though he didn't find any it still pained him with each movement. He was fortunate to be right handed so he would have to worry too much about the aching appendage. Decidedly, Kevin opted to relieve himself because he was already in the bathroom. It was only as he went to flush the urinal that he noticed there was blood in his urine.

"Well, that's not good," he whispered to himself.

He thought about what he could do; he could go to the ER or wait until the end of shift, take some meds, and sleep it off. The second option currently seemed more appealing to Kevin, so he washed his hands, fixed his uniform, and exited the bathroom.

The next few hours were slow. Kevin had eventually called the hospital were Mrs. Philips was being treated. He learned from her doctor that she was severely dehydrated from her stay in the basement. On top of that she also had a sprained wrist, lacerated back, bruised legs, two cracked and three broken ribs, a broken thumb, and a partly healed fractured clavicle (possibly from an old beating that was never properly treated). Kevin was relieved to learn that there were no signs of sexual assault. The rookie had even briefly talked to Mrs. Philips who informed him that she would happily testify against her husband. Crying, she had told him that she was already in the process of filing a divorce when her husband had found out and almost killed her before locking her in the basement. She was just so glad that Kevin had found her in time. She continuously thanked him for saving her life. Kevin humbly received the praise before telling Mrs. Philips to get some rest. But, before he hung up, he promised to visit her some time soon.

Around the end of his shift the insistent pain in his lower back was causing Kevin extreme discomfort. He hid it well enough from Elizabeth; she wasn't a detective after all, but she wasn't stupid either. The female officer had noticed that the young officer couldn't seem to sit still and that he constantly stopped what he was doing to massage his lower back. Though worried for her partner, Elizabeth knew that if there were something wrong with Kevin he would have immediately informed her. As such, Elizabeth didn't say anything at the end of their shift when Kevin's face contorted in discomfort when they walked their respective locker rooms to change out of their uniforms.

When Kevin entered the men's locker room he just happened to come face to face with Todd Walker, the older officer he had met a few hours before. Though equally shocked, the greying gentleman greeted his fellow man in blue. "Hey, Mad Bull. What's up?"

Kevin just shrugged. But he regretted the movement when it caused another flash of hot pain to roll up his back and flank. Walker didn't seem to notice Kevin's discomfort because he thumped the young cop on the back, saying, "Man, you missed the coolest detainment earlier! When the Narcs brought Ruiz in they had to have five guys handle him. He was ranting and raving… I swear he was as high as a kite." He signed at the memory. "Too bad you weren't there."

"Yeah," Kevin agreed, forcing a smile through his pain. "Sounded awesome."

"You know," Walker continued. "You seem pretty mild for someone who's called Mad Bull."

The rookie grinned shyly. "You don't know the half of it."

"Really? That's too bad. I'd love to hear your half of the story sometime. If you're not busy tonight some of the guys are heading to the Dugout after this for a few drinks, wanna join us?"

Kevin had slowly made his way over to his locker while Walker had been talking. He liked the man. He had a sort of infectious heartening attitude that made Kevin smile even through his pain. On any other night he would have accepted Walker's invitation in a heart beat but he just wasn't in the mood. "Some other time, Walker. I'm a bit tired. Haven't been getting enough sleep, you know."

The man laughed. "Sure thing, Bull. Maybe next time."

Kevin nodded before turning back to his locker and opening it. A few seconds after he took out his change of civilian clothes Kevin heard Walker exit the locker room, leaving him all alone. Extremely slowly, the rookie undressed and folded his uniform before placing it in his locker. And, with the same amount of tenderness, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a casual button down. But once he started to try and do the buttons a sharp pain made him stop. Glancing down at his left hand Kevin clearly saw a livid bruise shaped like fingers – imprints from when Mr. Philips had grabbed him.

Biting his lip to distribute some pain, Kevin finished getting dressed. But, before leaving the precinct, he stopped back in the bathroom. Unfortunately his urine was still mixed with blood. Making up his mind the rookie decided to go to the hospital; there he could kill two birds with one stone – visit Mrs. Philips _and_ make sure he didn't have bruised kidneys.

~o~o~

Kevin sat in a bed next to a sleeping Mrs. Philips waiting for a doctor to come and give him a once over. He was lucky that the ER wasn't busy so he could be seen quickly and quietly. He was even luckier when he was led to a bed directly next to the woman he intended to visit after his examination. Two birds, one stone.

After about twenty minutes of waiting the door clicked open to reveal a fair-haired, female doctor holding a clipboard.

"Mr. Ryan?" she asked, glancing down at the sheets in her hand.

Kevin straightened abruptly, wincing. "Yes."

"My name is Doctor Luka," she introduced herself. And, flipping through some more sheets on the clipboard, she continued, "The nurse said you were complaining of an acute abdominal pain and possible sprained wrist."

"That's correct."

"Very well. I'm going to need you to take off your shirt."

Kevin slowly complied. Once he was topless Doctor Luka could clearly see the extensive bruising trailing all over his back.

"Oh, dear. How did you get these?"

The young man ruefully smiled. "Fighting Mrs. Philips' husband."

"Mrs. Philips? Oh," she quickly glanced over at the resting woman. "The abuse victim. I treated her earlier. She did mention something about a cop who rescued her…" She trailed off, concluding that the man before her was Mrs. Philips' rescuer.

Kevin chuckled nervously. "Yeah, that was me."

The doctor's eyes narrowed marginally. "Wait a minute. Were you here about six months ago with a bashed in skull?"

"Yeah, that was me, too," he nodded.

"I thought I recognized you. I was the attending doctor that night, you were a bloody mess."

"I don't remember."

"You probably wouldn't… Anyway," Doctor Luka switched back to the topic at hand, "This looks like very deep bruising, possible kidney damage. Anything you didn't tell the nurse?"

Blushing, Kevin reluctantly responded. "There was a little blood in my urine."

"Uh huh," she nodded. "Alright, let's take a look, shall we?" Doctor Luka then proceeded to poke and prod Kevin for a full fifteen minutes before finally giving a verdict. "Okay, your left wrist is definitely sprained so you need to rest it for the next couple of days. I suggest you put it on ice for twenty minutes every three to four hours for the next forty-eight hours so the swelling goes down. I can have someone wrap it for you and give you a sling to help you keep it elevated. But at night you might need to put some pillows underneath it to ensure blood flow. Next, I need you to go pee in this," Doctor Luka handed Kevin a urine sample kit, "Then, when you get back, I'll have a nurse waiting to patch up that wrist."

Kevin nodded before disappearing down the hall to find the men's room. A few minutes later he returned to find a nurse waiting for him, just as Doctor Luka said. The nurse took the urine sample and went to give it to the good doctor before returning with some bandages and a sling. Once the nurse was done she told Kevin to wait for Doctor Luka's return. Just as the door snapped shut Mrs. Philips decided to wake up from her nap.

"Officer Ryan?" she asked, confused. She quickly blinked the sleep from her eyes and turned her head to get a clearer look at him. "What are you doing here? What happened to you?" she questioned, seeing the sling on his arm.

Kevin smiled sweetly down at the woman. "I did promise I would visit, didn't I? As for this," he lifted his arm as an indication, "Your soon to be ex-husband landed a few lucky blows during our scuffle earlier today."

"Oh my," she gasped. "I didn't know you were so badly hurt."

"Don't worry," he reassured her. "It's worse than it looks," Kevin joked. He winked.

"Oh I wouldn't say that," Doctor Luka announced as she reentered the room.

Mrs. Philips frowned and inquired, "What ever do you mean?"

"Well, there doesn't appear to be too much blood in your urine. But it still indicates that you have bruising on your kidneys. I suggest you drink plenty of water and rest in bed for about a week. If there is no more blood in your urine after a day or so then feel free to gradually build back up to normal activity, however, if there are still signs of blood you much rest until there isn't any. If the amount of blood increases then you must return immediately and get urgent care. You can take extra strength Tylenol for the pain, but no more than the recommended dose."

"Bed rest for a whole week?" Kevin practically squeaked, shocked at the high amount.

"Yes, Mr. Ryan, a week. Bruising to the kidney should not be taken lightly and bed rest will get the bleeding under control. If the bleeding has stopped before the week is up then you can stop bed rest after a few days but you must not over exert yourself otherwise. I don't have to explain what that means, do I?"

"No ma'am," Kevin sighed in defeat.

"Good. Now, Mrs. Philips, how are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you. These pain meds are helping me breathe much easier now."

"Wonderful, if you need anything feel free to call. I will be back in about an hour with more medication and a nurse to check on your wounds." And, with that being said, Doctor Luka exited the room again.

Mrs. Philips turned her head and addressed Kevin, "I'm sorry you got so hurt because of me."

"It's my job." Kevin stood to make his way over to the bed-ridden woman. "I am just glad I got there in time."

She smiled up at him sweetly, tears in her eyes. "T-thank you," she choked out.

He leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on her discolored temple. "I'll try to visit again. Stay strong!"

And with some final good-byes Kevin left the hospital. He stiffly wandered over to where he parked his car. Kevin drove carefully back to his small apartment building. After driving around the blocks a few times he found an acceptable parking space. The rookie finally made it up to his apartment and, after trying to find the correct key, made it inside. He slowly and deliberately poured himself a glass of water and headed for the bedroom. He downed a few Tylenol and lay back on his bed. He hurt too much and was too tired to even consider changing into his pajamas. Kevin sighed. Scrubbing his face with his right hand, the young man pulled out his cellphone. He had a lot of explaining to do, not only to Elizabeth but also to Captain Montgomery. He honestly had no idea how to safely ask for a week off.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN**_**: This Chapter was mainly for the use of introducing some recurring characters from the series – Officer Todd Walker and Doctor Molly Luka. In the next chapter I am going to have Kevin meet some of the actually TV show's characters. I know this is kind of a slow opening to the series but it is necessary. Throughout the next couple chapter I will have Kevin meet more characters from **_**Castle**_** and complete his undercover work for Narcotics… then we'll get into the good stuff – the team of Beckett, Esposito, and Ryan.**

In case you were wondering: IPV – Intimate Partner Violence

**I have been working on this series for the past several months. About half of it has been already written or all the plots have been outlined. **

**Some of my plot points slightly contradict with the **_**Castle**_** universe, but none of the major ones (possibly just small side comments or remarks made during the show).**

**Please review!**

**Coming Soon: **_C is for Cat_


	3. C is for Cat

**Title: **_**STICKS AND STONES**_

_**Summary**_**: **Kevin Ryan Whump (A to Z) – starts when he is an officer and continues on as he becomes a detective in narcotics, undercover in the mob, and a detective in homicide.

_**A/N**_**: Thank you everyone for the great feedback! I really enjoy reading all your comments and reviews! Please keep it up; it really motivates me to keep writing.**

**I am happy to say that I will slowly begin adding more characters from the **_**Castle**_** Universe, not just my own original characters (although there will still be many of those). This is one of my shorter chapters. I don't plan to have many chapters to be so short but I have been busy lately with final exams. **

**ENJOY!**

**This series is an A TO Z story set. As such, expect a total of 26 chapters (or more if I decide to do an epilogue or sequel).**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Castle_. *sigh*

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3 – C is for Cat <strong>

Kevin Ryan had woken up at a reasonable hour. Even though it was a Saturday Kevin still had to go into the 12th precinct around mid-morning to pick up his shift. It was one of the two things that Kevin disliked about being a police officer: one was talking to the loved ones of a victim and the other was working on the weekends. He simply didn't have that sort of luxury. After all, someone had to serve and protect the city at all times.

After taking a shower, the young man proceeded to go about his morning ritual. He poured himself a bowl of cereal, grabbed the sports section of the newspaper, and plopped himself down on the couch. After taking a few bites of his breakfast, Kevin used the remote to turn on the TV to Channel 6 for the daily news and weather. He didn't particularly like Channel 6 News above any other channel except for the fact at their weather girl was an extremely attractive blonde.

Still munching on his cereal, Kevin began to watch the news while catching up on his favorite sports teams. As far as he was concerned, this was bliss. But then his peace was shattered by a knock on the door.

Frowning, and wondering who it could possibly be, Kevin turned off the TV, set down his bowl, and folded the newspaper. Then he made his way over the door. Peering through the peephole he spotted the source of his disturbance. Smiling slightly to himself, Kevin unlocked and opened the door.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Katie Knight." He bowed to the figure in his doorway. "How may I be of service this morning?"

The little girl in front of him giggled. "Hi, Mr. Ryan…"

The young man shook his head at the formality, "You can call me Kevin."

"If you say so, Mr. Kevin."

Kevin laughed at her response. He had only met Katie Knight a handful of times before this, mostly in passing. She was a charming little girl. Her strawberry blonde hair and freckles also made her look just as enchanting as she acted. Katie lived with her mom and dad only two doors down on his floor. If memory served him, she had just turned 6-years-old last week. A few other tenants complained about the noise that night. After all a party full of young children can be quite loud. Unfortunately, Kevin was on patrol that night so he didn't see any of the festivities.

Kevin was snapped out of his thoughts when Katie started to speak again. "Mommy said you were a police officer."

"Yes, that's right."

"Mommy also said that I could always ask a police officer for help."

Kevin's eyebrows crinkled at that comment. "Is something wrong, Katie?"

"Oh, Mr. Kevin," the young girl started, her eyes slightly tearing up. "Misty is stuck on the fire escape. I can't seem to get her to come down. She's so scared."

"Misty?" Kevin questioned. He didn't remember Katie having a sibling.

But his internal query was answered when Katie said, "She's my kitty."

"Oh," Kevin deadpanned. "Can't your mommy or daddy help?"

"Daddy is at work and Mommy is afraid of heights."

"Okay," Kevin shrugged his shoulders. "Lead the way!"

Katie squealed in delight. Taken by surprise, Kevin barely had time to close his door before his young neighbor grabbed his hand and led him down the hall. Eventually letting go of his hand, Katie entered her apartment and beckoned him in.

An older woman suddenly exited the kitchen area. "Katie, there you are. What did I tell you about running off without telling me."

"Sorry, mommy. I just went to ask Mr. Kevin if he could help rescue Misty."

Kevin shyly waved at Mrs. Knight, embarrassed that he had entered someone's living space without his or her permission. Mrs. Knight smiled kindly at Kevin. "Sorry about that. Katie gets a little excited when it comes to her kitten."

The young police officer quickly batted her apology out of the air. "Don't worry, Mrs. Knight. I'm happy to help."

Katie's mother nodded her head in thanks while the young girl authoritatively clapped her hands before saying. "Misty is over here, Mr. Kevin."

She led him deeper into the apartment. The room they finally entered was clearly Katie's bedroom. It was decorated in an exhaustive amount of pink. Dolls and play sets littered the floor. Kevin carefully picked his way across the room to stand next to Katie, who had her head out the window. "Misty's up there!" she exclaimed, pointing to a section of the fire escape that leveled between their floor and the next.

Kevin poked his head out the window and easily spotted the missing feline. Misty was a small grey thing. She had white paws, a white tail, and a huge splash of white that covered half of her face. Scrubbing his face with his right hand, Kevin shook his head at the sight. "How on earth did she get all the way up there?"

"We were playing hide-and-seek," Katie stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Nodding solemnly, he sighed, "Of course you were." Kevin opened the window wider so he could climb out with out seriously hurting himself. The fire escape groaned and shook underneath him as it struggled to support his whole weight. Praying that it wouldn't collapse, Kevin made his way up the latter to the next level.

Misty was shaking by the time the young man reached her. Crouching in front of the cat at last, Kevin murmured some soothing words as not to scare the already frightened animal. Misty blinked slowly at the stranger, assessing if he was a threat or not. Sniffing the man's hand, Misty finally determined that Kevin couldn't be that bad because he smelled slightly like her master. The cat meowed quietly before climbing into Kevin's outstretched hand.

When Misty crawled into his palm Kevin drew the cat closely to his breast so he could securely protect her on the way down. Using his free hand, Kevin began climbing back down into his young neighbor's apartment. But then something unexpected happened. The fire escape creaked before suddenly jolting underneath the young man's grasp. A very girlish exclamation slipped out of Kevin mouth when he found himself falling. Out of reflex, his hands stiffened and constricted. Unfortunately, Kevin's hands were not empty and he ended up squeezing poor Misty. The kitten yowled in protest and swiped at the young man's arm with her untrimmed claws.

The fall, if it could even be called that, was brief. Kevin had only dropped down a single rung of the ladder, but the damage had already been done. With a hissing, angered animal in one hand, he finished making his way down to the next level before climbing into Katie's open window.

Misty scratched at Kevin's arm one last time before jumping from his grasp into the arms of her overjoyed master. Katie jumped up and down in excitement at the return of her beloved pet. As she calmed down the frustrated feline Katie turned to Kevin and exclaimed, "You did it, Mr. Kevin! Thank you so much."

The young man couldn't help but smile down at the little girl. "You are very welcome," he responded as he turned to close the open window. "Now, I don't want to hear that you were playing hide-and-seek with Misty with an open window," he scolded lightly. He then patted her head affectionately. "Does that sound reasonable?"

"Yes, Mr. Kevin."

"Alright, now let's go inform your mother of the good news."

Katie beamed and raced out of her bedroom. Kevin trailed slowly behind her into the main room of the apartment. By the time he entered Katie was already excitedly recounting Misty's rescue at the hands of the off-duty police officer. And, after a few minutes of pleasant conversation and a kiss on the cheek from one grateful little girl, Kevin headed back to his own residence at the end of the hall. Unperturbed by the soggy cereal that awaited him, the young man cleaned up his breakfast and washed the leftover dishes. However, the hot, soapy water sung his arms. Puzzled, Kevin looked down at his arms to find them marred with two sets of four deep scratches. All of them were bleeding, though not profusely.

Glancing at the clock on the wall Kevin determined he had a few minutes to clean and dress the lacerations before he had to start getting ready for his shift at the precinct. However, to his dismay, he soon discovered that he didn't have any bandages in his medicine cabinet. Not worrying too much about it, he proceeded to get changed into his crisp blue uniform and pack himself a lunch of cold leftover pizza slices from last night's dinner. And, forgetting about the whole incident, the young officer left his apartment, locked the door, and headed to his car.

~o~o~

"Why are you bleeding?"

The question snapped Kevin out of his stupor. He turned his head away from the squad car's window and faced Elizabeth. "Huh?" Kevin asked, perplexed by his partner's question.

"Your arm," Elizabeth clarified. "It's bleeding."

Looking down at the aforementioned appendage Kevin noticed that his arm was in fact bleeding again. "Oh, a cat scratched me this morning."

"I didn't know you had pets."

"I don't. My neighbor's kitten got stuck on the fire escape this morning and I had to rescue her."

Elizabeth chortled at his reply. "You didn't tell me you were a fireman and a policeman."

"Ha ha, very funny," the young officer drawled sarcastically. He looked at the scratches again. "I didn't have any bandages at home and I didn't think that it would keep bleeding."

The female officer glanced over at her partner. "You might want to get it checked out." She focused her line of sight back to the road before continuing, "On our break why don't you go visit the morgue."

Kevin eyebrow crinkled in confusion. "What! Why the morgue?"

Elizabeth just rolled her eyes. "Doctors, Ryan. That's were the doctors are," she drawled. "I'm sure you can find one who will give you some bandages. They might even give you a once over. I suggest that they examine your head for signs of blunt force trauma because you were clearly dropped on your head as a child…"

"HEY!"

"Common sense," she responded, tapping her forehead with her pointer finger. "Sometimes, I think you lack it."

"Fine," Kevin grumbled. He slumped back in his seat in indignation and returned to staring back out the vehicle's window.

A little over an hour later, the two partner's arrived back at the 12th precinct. Elizabeth playfully shoved the younger officer towards the stairs that let down to the morgue. Dutifully, Kevin made his way down into the basement of the building. Foregoing the actual autopsy rooms, the uniformed policeman walked to a cluster of small offices in the far corner. Two of the small rooms were empty but the third contained a beautiful ebony young lady sporting a short bob of jet-black hair. Reading the nameplate on the door, Kevin knocked three times.

"Come in."

Opening the door just enough to let himself in, Kevin found himself face to face with the residing M.E. "Doctor Parish?"

The woman looked up from the file she was reading to stare at the officer. "Yes?" she questioned, pursing her lips at the unwelcome interruption.

The young man suddenly became very self-conscious of his situation. The doctor's intense, piercing eyes followed all his movements. He rubbed his arm in embarrassment, unknowingly reopening the cat scratches. Slightly desperate at the sight of fresh blood, Kevin stammered, "D-do you have any b-bandages?"

"Whatever for?"

"Um," he fumbled. Struggling and failing at finding the correct word he opted to just show her why he needed the bandages.

Doctor Parish's eyebrows rose at the sight of blood. Her eyes softened. Sympathetically nodding, the young woman stood and beckoned the officer to follow her out of the office. She brought him over to a supply closet and gestured at Kevin to sit down in a vacant chair that was in the hall. Complying with the silent request, Kevin settled down as he watched the M.E. fetch some supplies.

"I don't usually work with the living," she explained. "But I sometimes make an exception." She winked at her patient, smiling when he shifted awkwardly and blushed. Doctor Parish reached out and gently handled the bleeding appendage as she kneeled on the white tiled ground. Inspecting the lacerations she saw that she recognized the source. "Cat?"

"Yeah," Kevin grinned.

The M.E. grabbed some disinfectant and applied it to the wound. "How'd it happen?"

"A little girl had her kitten stuck up a fire escape," he answered vaguely, wincing as the alcohol solution burned in his veins. "Unfortunately the cat wasn't as appreciative as the girl."

"Cute and courageous," Doctor Parish hummed in response.

Kevin's blush deepened.

The female doctor then began to wrap a light layer of dressings along the young officer's arm. Skillfully, Doctor Parish swathed all the deep scratches. Then, as a good doctor should, she questioned her patient about his medical history. "Have you had a tetanus shot recently?"

"Yeah, a few years back."

"You're not allergic to cats, are you?"

"I don't think so."

She nodded. "Well, if the wound isn't healing or you notice any redness, increasing pain, drainage, warmth or swelling you should probably see a real doctor."

"Okay."

A minute of two later the female M.E. finished wrapping the young officer's forearm and fastened it closed with a butterfly clip. Then, patting his leg, she straightened from her kneeling position and said, "That should do it." Doctor Parish continued to speak as she put away her medical supplies in the closet. "Change that bandage at least daily or whenever it becomes wet or dirty." She spun to face him, smiling coyly. "It just so happens that I am on duty again tomorrow. So if you need help…" she trailed off suggestively.

Kevin smiled somewhat apologetically. "I have the day off tomorrow."

The M.E. pursed her lips. "Shame."

"Indeed."

They were silent for a few moments, not exactly sure what to do or say next. Eventually, Kevin nervously coughed into his hand before stating, "Well, Doctor Parish-"

She cut him off. "Lanie."

"Excuse me?"

"My name. It's Lanie."

"Oh. Kevin," the young man responded in kind. He stuck out his hand affability. She tentatively shook it. "Well, _Lanie_," Kevin started again. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"I know."

Blinking at her bold declaration, the young officer smiled stiffly. "Thank you for your assistance and advice."

"You're welcome," she responded. Then, without so much as a goodbye, Lanie pushed passed Kevin and headed toward her office. As the doctor walked away she called over her shoulder, "Do visit sometime. It was quite nice to have a body that talks back." And with that final statement, the door slammed shut, leaving the young man alone it the morgue hallway.

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his blue uniform, Kevin strode back to the stairs that led him far away from the stench of decay and anesthetic. He briefly allowed himself to smile before reentering the bullpen. And shaking his head in amazement, Kevin voiced to himself what he had been thinking during the entire conversation he had had with Doctor Lanie Parish.

"What an interesting woman."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN**_**: Doctor Lanie Parish everybody… what a woman! I hope that I captured her sass and flirtatious nature well enough in her conversation with Kevin. I feel it was necessary for him to meet Lanie before any of the other characters because the nature of this series is whump (and where there is injury there should be a doctor). I also like the idea of Kevin knowing Lanie before Javier… I don't know why but the whole situation just seems exactly how the two should meet.**

**Anyway, I'm trying to decide if I want to make Katie Knight have an appearance in a later story or not. She's such a cute little girl and I don't plan on having Kevin move out of his apartment building, so it would only make sense that their paths would cross again. Tell me what you think. If you guys want to see more of her I will make her a reoccurring character, or maybe even make a story line base around her…**

**I have been working on this series for the past several months. About half of it has been already written or all the plots have been outlined. **

**Some of my plot points slightly contradict with the **_**Castle**_** universe, but none of the major ones (possibly just small side comments or remarks made during the show).**

**Review, Review, Review!**

**Coming Soon:** _D is for Drug Mule_


	4. D is for Drug Mule

**Title: **_**STICKS AND STONES**_

_**Summary**_**: **Kevin Ryan Whump (A to Z) – starts when he is an officer and continues on as he becomes a detective in narcotics, undercover in the mob, and a detective in homicide.

_**A/N**_**: Wow, everyone has been so kind and responsive to my story. Thank you to all who have reviewed, favorite, and followed me. **

**This chapter is fairly average in length and includes some 'case elements' that I haven't put in any of my previous chapters. Here you see Kevin being the detective he is destined to be! There are also some guest appearances from **Lanie Parish** and **Roy Montgomery**. (We are slowly approaching chapters were **_**Castle**_** characters are making regular appearance, not just my original characters.)**

**I hope to publish another chapter soon. So keep your eye out or follow the story for all the updates. ENJOY!**

Happy New Year!

**This series is an A TO Z story set. As such, expect a total of 26 chapters (or more if I decide to do an epilogue or sequel).**

**Disclaimer: **_Castle_ isn't mine…yet.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4 – D is for Drug Mule<strong>

Officer Kevin Ryan was nervous. His two weeks were finally up. Today was the day when his future was going to be decided. Anxiously, the young officer glanced at the clock on the wall of the bullpen. Noting it had only been a minute since he last checked, he huffed out a tense breath before trying to refocus on the paperwork in front of him. But Kevin couldn't do it; he just couldn't focus. He uneasily clicked his pen open and shut multiple times before throwing it down on the desk in annoyance. The young man scrubbed his face with both hands and looked back up at the clock.

"Would you stop that!"

"Huh?" Kevin blinked and turned to face his very annoyed partner. "Stop what?"

Officer Elizabeth "Spider" Webb rolled her eyes. "Staring at the clock will not make it move any faster. Anyway, you don't know when the results will be out; it could be in a few minutes or a few hours. Besides, not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. Just look at me," she threw out her arms in a grand flourish. "I'm not a detective and I'm still awesome."

"Yes, but you never _wanted_ to be a detective," her younger partner pointed out.

Elizabeth shrugged, indifferent about the jabbing comment. "Well, that's true."

Kevin sighed heavily and glanced at the clock again.

"Stop that!" Elizabeth scolded loudly. At her exclamation, the heads of several officers turned in their direction.

"Sorry," he apologized weakly.

Just then Officer Todd Walker entered the bullpen and headed straight for the two younger officers. He raised his hand in greeting while offering a salutation. "Hey Spider!" Then turning to Kevin, he asked, "So, any news yet?"

"Not yet. NYPD headquarters is still processing it. I'm supposed to get the results back today."

"Don't worry, Mad Bull," Walker said, slapping Kevin on the back. "I'm sure you aced the Detectives' Exam. You passed the physical, didn't you?"

"Yeah…"

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

"Thanks, Walker," Kevin smiled at his friend. "That means a lot."

Walker grinned back before addressing the two colleagues. "Well, as excited as I am about your scores, that's not the reason I'm here."

Elizabeth sat up a little straighter in her desk, intrigued. "Go on."

The older officer smiled, ringing his hands excitedly. "There has been some increased drug trafficking into the city and it has been causing some real problems for the boys up in Narcotics…" Walker trailed off suggestively.

"And…" the female officer inveigled, waving her hand in anticipation.

"_And_," the older man declared. "They have a suspect."

Extremely disappointed, Elizabeth slumped back into her seat. "That's all?"

"What do you mean '_that's all_'?" Walker demanded. "This is great news! Maybe we'll have another Jimmy Ruiz on our hands," he remarked, referring to the Latin Kings' drug dealer that the Narcotics Department arrested and convicted just over a year ago.

Impatiently, Kevin inquired, "What's this have to do with us?"

"They need some uniforms to pick up a potential witness for the case. So I volunteered us!" Walker exclaimed, grinning animatedly.

"_You WHAT_!" Kevin cried out, causing several heads to turn in his direction for the second time in just a few minutes.

"Woah! Calm down, Mad Bull. I know you're cranky about the Detectives' Exam but that's no reason to take it out on me," Walker argued.

"Hey man, you just can't volunteer me without my permission," the younger officer sighed.

The greying man rolled his eyes and replied, "Well, sorry for trying to be a good friend and attempting to distract you from your Exam results until they come in."

Kevin couldn't help but softly smile at Walker's response. The man definitely had his heart in the right place. Over the past year the two officers had become fairly close friends – well, as close as two policemen could get due to their generational gap. The middle-aged officer frequently admitted that he liked Kevin's spunk and determination for the job. While Elizabeth was his official partner on the force, Walker was easily considered the substitute. He stepped in when Elizabeth couldn't and often took the younger man on little adventures with the detectives from Narcotics. Initially, Kevin disliked the Narcotics division; they were usually considered the vultures of the 12th precinct, sweeping in and stealing cases from other departments after all the grunt work had already been completed. After a few months Kevin eventually warmed up to them and discovered why Walker like to hang out with the group. The detectives had the most interesting stories, worked undercover, were easy going, worked on _preventive_ – not responsive – police work, and only occasionally had to deal with dead bodies.

Briefly thinking over Walker's proposal, Kevin agreed to accompany him to pick up the witness and bring him back to the precinct for questioning. The two temporary partners made their way down to the parking garage and hopped in Walker's squad car. On the ride over to the witness' apartment in lower Manhattan the older officer briefed Kevin on the case.

"The eyewitness' name is Marvin Sloan. About a week ago some Narcs busted a shipment of pure cocaine from Columbia. There were about six or seven kilos split up and wrapped in hundreds of little latex balloons - probably from drug mules," Walker paused slightly as he took a quick left turn before a light turned red. "Two people were arrested at the bust but they still haven't rolled over on their boss. Anyway, two days ago someone called in a tip about another shipment coming into the city. Yesterday, officers missed the traffickers by a few minutes but this guy, Sloan, was found on scene. He claims he witnessed some armed thugs loading people into a truck along with some unmarked briefcases. Sloan answered some simple questions at scene but now they need to formally question him about what he saw. And that's were we come in…"

"So who's this suspect they have?" Kevin asked, referring to Walker's earlier comment made in the bullpen.

"Some corporate stockbroker," the older, greying man responded. "Julian Brooks, I think. I don't really remember but the man has some serious political pull. He manages a few companies in…" he trailed off to allow Kevin to guess the answer.

"Columbia?"

"_Columbia_!" Walker repeated, slapping his right hand onto the steering wheel for emphasis. "If that doesn't make a man guilty then I don't know what does. This is going to be a very interesting arrest." He smiled gleefully, "I love watching rich men in suits be brought into the satiation in handcuffs. Proves that no one is above the law."

Kevin nodded thoughtfully, silently agreeing with his partner.

The squad car finally pulled down a narrow street and into a small parking lot behind a tall apartment building. Turning off the engine, Walker helpfully supplied a "We're here!" before exiting the vehicle. Kevin slipped out of the car and followed Walker through the building's front door and into the lobby. After asking for Marvin Sloan's apartment number, the duo had to climb four flights of stairs to the correct floor after discovering that the elevator was broken.

At the end of the hall the police officers found their eyewitness' door and knocked. Shuffling was heard through the wooden barrier before a flabby, unfit individual opened it. Blinking through his thick glasses, Marvin Sloan squinted at the two uniformed men in front of him.

"Can I help you?" he questioned in an abnormally high-pitched voice.

Walker responded with his own question. "Are you Mr. Sloan?"

"Yes. And you are?"

"I am Officer Walker, and this here is Officer Ryan," he said, indicating Kevin behind him. "We're here to bring you to the 12th precinct for questioning about yesterday's events. It won't take too long. You will just need to make a statement and look at a few pictures," Walker explained.

"Oh, yes. I remember someone telling me they would send someone today." The overweight man opened the door a little more and said, "Please come in for a moment, I have something in the oven I have to take care of before we leave."

Nodding, the older officer entered the apartment, closely followed by his younger partner. The living area was extremely neat and organized but held a heavy musk in the air. Curious, Kevin looked around the room while Marvin moved further into the apartment towards the kitchen. Kevin noticed that there was a very thin layer of dust on the furniture and floor. Similarly, he spotted that there was about a week's worth of mail stacked on the coffee table – a majority of which were overdue bills. His eyebrows drew together in confusion at the juxtaposing living conditions. Inquisitive, Kevin spoke up and inquired, "Mr. Sloan, have you been on vacation recently?"

"I just came back yesterday from visiting my sister," Marvin voiced from the other room. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Kevin mumbled, shrugging his shoulders.

But, before anyone could say anything else about the state of Marvin's apartment, a crash came from the kitchen. Quickly reacting to the loud noise, the two officers rushed into the adjoining room to find their witness curled in a fetal position on the floor next to a tray of piping hot baked ziti. Kevin moved the warm dish away from the seeming injured man with some discarded oven mitts back into the oven from where it came. Walker, on the other hand, rushed to the fallen man, calling out, "Mr. Sloan! Mr. Sloan, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"M-my stomach," the balding man howled. He curled into a tighter ball, hands wrapped around his midsection.

Trying to remember exactly what he learned in first aid training, Kevin knelt beside his partner and instructed him to lay the injured man onto his back. But this proved harder than anticipated. Marvin refused to move from his position, all the while moaning in pain. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead and underarms. The younger officer immediately recognized some symptoms of what could be causing Marvin so much pain. Extremely worried about the witness' health, Kevin looked at Walker and ordered, "Call the paramedics! This man might be having a heart attack."

Complying, Walker reached for his radio and began calling dispatch for an ambulance to be sent to their currently location. While this was happening, Kevin tried to talk to Marvin. "Mr. Sloan, can you hear me? Do you know what is wrong?"

Marvin turned his eyes towards Kevin. The young policeman quickly noted the dilated pupils and glazed expression. The pained man opened and closed his mouth as if to answer Kevin's question. Not hearing an audible response, the officer leaned closer to hear what was trying to be said. But, suddenly, a shrill scream erupted from Marvin. Just then, the flabby body shot out of its compact, curled position and began to seize. The unexpected movement threw Kevin off guard. And, in an effort to prevent the man from injuring himself more, the young man grabbed his failing limbs while calling out, "Walker! Get over here. He seems to be having some sort of fit."

The greying officer dropped his radio and ran over to help his partner. Walker went to stabilize Marvin's arms while Kevin focused on the legs and feet. The seizures seemed to be getting more violent; and, in one particularly fierce spasm, Marvin's sneakered foot shot out of Kevin's grip and collided with his stomach. Winded by the blow, Kevin had little balance left to prevent him from forcefully flying backward out of his kneeling position. Unfortunately, the only thing preventing the young officer from cracking his head open on the tiled floor was the oven. Stars exploded into Kevin vision when his temple struck the corner of the large kitchen appliance.

Nausea threatened to reintroduce Kevin with his lunch. Sucking in deep breaths, Kevin braced himself with one arm while the other applied itself to the source of a sharp pain on his head. His vision swam a second time when a flash of hot pain shot through his skull. He removed his hand to reveal it covered in blood. Nausea coiled in his gut for a second time.

But before he could worry too much about his own injury, another agonizing scream erupted from Marvin's thrashing form. Kevin tried crawling over to assist his partner, but before he made it Marvin suddenly stilled. The unfit, thickly spectacled man lay on his back, completely immobile. His face was contorted in pain, but slack at the same time.

Kneeling next to the witness, the young officer shakily placed two fingers on the man's neck, searching for a pulse. Then, after about a minute, an alarmed Kevin looked up at Walker and stated, "He's dead."

~o~o~

An ambulance arrived shortly after but none of the paramedics could revive Marvin Sloan. After about ten minutes he was declared dead on scene. The body was quickly placed in a body bag before one of the emergency personnel turned to the two officers who had been in the apartment. Walker had retrieved a washcloth from the bathroom for Kevin to apply to the deep gash on his forehead. It was bleeding badly, like any other head wound, but upon an EMT's inspection it was revealed that the young police officer would require stitches. Walker assured the paramedic that he would take Kevin to the hospital so they could take the body to the morgue.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Walker left Kevin in the ER while he left to go call Captain Montgomery and inform him what had occurred at the witness' apartment. Kevin was sure the boys in Narcotics weren't going to be too happy to learn that their biggest lead on the cocaine smuggling case had just died. After just a few minutes a nurse called Kevin's name and led him to a room where a familiar female doctor greeted him.

"So we meet again, Officer Ryan."

The young man smiled. "So we do, Doctor Luka. It has been a while."

"Fortunately for you," Molly Luka laughed. "It is never a pleasure to see a patient more than once. On the other hand, every time I see you I am reassured that you are still alive instead of heading straight to the morgue."

"I suppose you're right."

Finishing the small talk, the blonde female became all business. "Now let's take a look at that cut." She skillfully inspected it and confirmed the paramedic's suspicion that he could require some stitches. The female doctor sent a nurse to gather some supplies before turning back to Kevin and asking, "What happened this time?"

Kevin spoke, "A witness my partner and I were sent to collect was having a heart attack or something and began to have a fit of some sort. When I tried to restrain him he kicked me back into his oven."

"A heart attack? Are you sure it wasn't something else?" Doctor Luka questioned, confusion leaking into her voice.

"Well, I'm no doctor, but he _was_ complaining of chest pains before he began to seize."

Shaking her head, Doctor Luka responded, "That doesn't make any sense. It sounds like he had a severe allergic reaction rather than a heart attack."

"Now I'm confused," the injured officer stated.

The nurse returned with all the supplies needed to stitch Kevin's head back up. Doctor Luka gave the young man a mild painkiller before she began to thoroughly cleaning the cut. She talked while she worked. "Heart attacks usually don't cause seizures. However, an after effect of a heart attack could cause a person to experience a seizure or seizure-like activity. A 'seizure' is generally what an epileptic attack is referred to as; but this term more accurately describes the associated convulsive state. Seizures are a result of a cerebral malfunction _in the brain_ which can originate from a number of factors such as epilepsy, drug overdose, shock to the body caused by injury, high fever, etcetera..." Doctor Luca trailed off slightly before starting to stitch the cut on Kevin's brow. "A 'heart attack', as the name implies, refers to an event that occurs _in the heart_. This is usually brought on suddenly via serious accident or injury, but can also be the result of an occlusion caused by a breakaway piece of plaque or a thrombus, which can give the appearance of a seizure - to the inexperienced observer - due to the person's immediate collapse."

The doctor paused so she could properly knot off the last stitch before continuing. "So you can see my confusion with your account. Is there anything else about the victim that you didn't tell me?"

"Umm," Kevin hummed, thoughtfully. "Well, he did have dilated pupils and a short of glazed look before he started to seize…"

"Okay," the female doctor nodded. "That could be from a high fever or a drug overdose."

"He wasn't feverish when we first interacted with him, and he definitely wasn't high," the officer asserted.

"Well, then I have nothing," Doctor Luka shrugged as she applied the last butterfly bandage to Kevin's forehead. "Seems like you have a real medical mystery on your hands."

"Yeah, I guess I do."

Doctor Luka then stood up and wrote a few things on Kevin's chart. "Anyhow, you're all done. You can sign out at the nurses' station and set up an appointment to get those stitches removed in about a week's time."

"Alright."

"Do you have some one to drive you home? You cannot legally drive while on pain medication."

Kevin smiled. "Yeah, my partner's here." Then he waved goodbye and left the room.

As he walked down the hall toward the nurses' station he heard Doctor Luka call out, "I hope I don't see you soon!"

"That makes two of us!" Kevin shouted in response, chuckling to himself.

After about ten minutes he had signed all the necessary paperwork. It took him another ten minutes to locate Walker in the cafeteria. The older man was sulking about the horrible turn of events. It turned out that Captain Montgomery was extremely upset about the loss of an eyewitness in a high profile case. The boys in Narcotics weren't too happy either.

"I won't be able to show my face in Narcotics for at least a year," Walker complained. "I'm a disgrace!"

"I was there too you know," Kevin commented as he slid into the passenger seat of the squad car.

"Yeah, well, you got injured. No one will tear you a new one because you have a battle wound. They will probably even give you a medal!"

"Oh, come on. That's ridiculous."

"But true!" Walker exclaimed, turning on the vehicle.

"You're being irrational," Kevin argued. "Give it a week and all will be forgiven. I mean, how could anyone guess that Marvin Sloan was going to suddenly die. You can't see the future any more than I can, Walker."

The older officer sighed. "You're right, Mad Bull. I shouldn't get all worked up about this, there's nothing I could have done."

The two rode in silence on the trip back to the 12th precinct. But the whole time Kevin couldn't help but ponder what Doctor Luka had said. It didn't make sense that Marvin Sloan would die so suddenly, and for no apparent reason. Was it possible that there was something bigger going on? Could he have been poisoned? Was there some sort of conspiracy going on? Had Marvin really seen something that could have gotten him killed? Kevin continued to replay the dramatic scene from the apartment. Something was wrong; Kevin knew it. Something that possibly tied Marvin to the events he had witnessed, his abnormally dusty apartment, or his abrupt death.

They finally arrived back at the station. As they were exiting the squad car a thought popped into Kevin's head.

"Hey, Walker?"

"Yeah."

"Was Marvin complaining of chest pains or stomach pains?"

"Stomach pains, I think," Walker responded. "Why?"

Kevin closed his eyes and thought for a moment, connecting all the dots. Eyes shooting open, the young officer exclaimed, "Walker, call the Captain! I know how Marvin Sloan died."

"Wait," the greying, middle-aged officer called out. "What do you mean, Mad Bull?"

"Don't you see!" Kevin stated. "Marvin was a _drug mule_ for the Columbians. He was found at the scene of the crime because he was _part_ of the crime. You could tell by his apartment that he had been gone for several days. He was probably in Columbia filling his body full of cocaine to pay all the overdue bills that he had stacked on his coffee table. Doctor Luka said that one reaction to a drug overdose was severe seizures. He was complaining of stomach pains because a balloon of drugs in his stomach ruptured and cause him to O.D."

"Wow," Walker murmured, astonished at his temporary partner's conclusion. "You are definitely getting a medal now."

Ignoring the comment, Kevin rushed into the precinct and ordered over his shoulder, "Go tell the Captain! I'm going to go inform the M.E. that they need to perform an autopsy to remove the drugs from Marvin Sloan's remains."

Not waiting to hear Walker's response, Kevin excitedly rushed down to the morgue. Passing the "on-duty" board he was pleased to see that Doctor Lanie Parish was currently scheduled for work. It was always good to see a familiar face. And she was most likely to listen to his theory and perform an autopsy upon his request.

He finally reached his desired destination, and, just as he was about to enter the sterile morgue he heard a muffled shout followed by a resounding crash. Without hesitation, Kevin rushed into the room.

"Doctor Parish? Is everything alright?"

However, no response was needed. The scene displayed before him informed Kevin that everything was far from all right. Lanie lay unconscious on the floor. A man in a black ski mask stood over her, scalpel in hand. Startled by the young officer's sudden entrance, the masked attacker didn't have time to appropriately react to Kevin's presence.

Quickly evaluating the situation, Kevin drew his sidearm on the man. "Hands in the air!" he shouted.

The man froze but didn't react to Kevin's command.

"Hands where I can see them!" the young officer barked.

Not seeing anyway out of the room, the masked attacker complied with the demands. He raised his hands far above his head.

Kevin took several types forward. "Turn around and drop the scalpel," Kevin stated while gesturing with his service weapon.

The man once again followed the young man's instructions. He turned around and let go of the medical instrument. It clattered to the floor, far out of the attacker's reach.

"Now, put your feet shoulders width apart and put your hands on your head."

Once it was done, Kevin stepped forward and, with one hand, the other still training his gun on the masked man, slapped his handcuffs onto the right wrist of the attacker. Then ordering the man to the far end of the morgue, he took the other side of the cuff and closed it around the solid metal bar of an autopsy table. Once satisfied the attacker was incapacitated and out of the way, Kevin rushed back to Lanie's side. He quickly checked her vitals and determined that she was only unconscious, nothing worse. Content with the results, the young uniformed officer ran over to the phone on the wall and called Captain Montgomery's office. It only took a minute to notify the Captain that there was a security breach in the morgue and that an M.E. was injured.

Not a minute later several uniformed police officers and detectives rushed into the morgue, guns drawn, to find the threat already contained and the victim awake. Lanie informed Kevin that she had found the masked man gutting the corpse of a recently deceased Marvin Sloan. The man had attacked Lanie when she discovered him. Kevin was just glad he had arrived before the attacker could have done her anymore harm.

After placing the man in an interrogation room with some Narcotics detectives, Kevin was called to Captain Montgomery's office. Kevin had only met the man once before, and that was at his graduation from the police academy. Even then the Captain had intimidated the younger man. He had an overbearing presence that demanded respect and attention. When Kevin entered the office Montgomery didn't even look up from behind desk from where was speaking to someone on the phone. He simply waved for Kevin to sit down in the only unoccupied chair. Walker grinned and waved from his seated position in the other chair in the Captain's office. Smiling in return, Kevin sat down and waited for Montgomery to speak.

After a moment the Captain hung up the phone and turned to scrutinize the younger officer in front of him. "Officer Walker tells me you deduced that Marvin Sloan, a leading witness for a high profile case, was a drug mule," Montgomery stated. "Is this true?"

"Yes, Sir," Kevin formally replied, nodding.

"And did you not just apprehend a man in the morgue for attacking an M.E. and desecrating human remains?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Well, I have been informed by Doctor Parish that Marvin Sloan was indeed a drug mule, carrying about 50 ounces of pure cocaine in his stomach and large intestine." He paused. "And, I also just got off the phone with Detective Quaid from Narcotics who tells me the man he has in interrogation just revealed he is working under Julian Brooks, who is smuggling in drugs from Columbia."

Kevin's eyes widen in surprise.

Captain Montgomery continued, "Now, Officer Ryan, the reason I called you here is because I have some good news and bad news to share with you. Which do you want to hear first?"

Kevin swallowed nervously before glancing over at Walker, who grinned. "The bad news," he decided.

"You seem to lack all self-preservation and rational," the Captain seriously declared. "You investigated a case that you have no right or jurisdiction to investigate and you overstepped your rank by giving orders to a senior officer. Shall I continue?"

The young man shifted anxiously in his seat, ashamed by the scolding he was receiving.

"The good news is," Montgomery continued, "That you are to be relieved of your duties as a police officer here at the 12th precinct."

"Wait. What! How is that good news?" Kevin asked, shocked by the turn of events.

Captain Montgomery held up a hand to silence the young man's outburst. "I didn't finish," he stated. "You are no longer a police officer because you are being promoted to detective."

Stunned silence fell over the occupied office.

"From what I have heard today and from these incredible Exam results," the Captain picked up a manila folder from his cluttered desk. "I would say you make the perfect candidate for being a detective."

"S-sir," Kevin stuttered. "I don't know what to say."

Walker chuckled and shook his head. "Say yes!"

Looking Montgomery in the eye the young man nodded and said, "Yes. I would be honored to be a detective."

The Captain smiled and declared, "It's settled then. Now, I already have multiple requests for you to be moved to the Narcotics division. Even before your little display today it seems like the Narcs have had their eye on you."

Montgomery stood and circled his desk. "Now, you will finish your duties with Officer Webb until Friday. Then you will get the weekend to rest and then on Monday you will report to the Narcotics Department where you will be assigned a new partner and learn your new duties. Think you can handle it?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Good."

With everything said and done, Kevin stood up and gratefully shook the Captain's outstretched hand. Walker wrapped his arm around Kevin in a side hug before attempting to guide his friend out of Montgomery's office.

"Now, _Detective Ryan_," Montgomery called after him. "We don't hire detectives in this precinct, we hire common sense and make detectives from it."

"Yes, Sir. I understand, Sir," the young man responded, grinning brightly.

Walker and Kevin then exited the office and headed through the bullpen toward the stairs. The older officer slapped the younger on the back and exclaimed, "You did it, Mad Bull! You're a detective."

"Yeah," Kevin beamed. "I guess I am."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN**_**: There you have it! Kevin is now a detective and on his way to work in the Narcotics Division. This ends "Part One" of the series – Kevin as a police officer. From here on out Kevin is a detective.**

**I really like this story because it has an element of mystery and detective work. Some of my later chapters will have more of this 'case element' where the characters will be solving a murder(s). Let me know if you could follow my line of thought with the drug mule aspect. I tried to make the train of thought clear and concise so I could be easily understood. I also tried to not oversaturate the story with medical facts, but I needed to include enough to have the plot make sense… Let me know what you thought!**

**The next character to be introduced will be **Detective Kate Beckett**! So stay tuned.**

**I have been working on this series for the past several months. About half of it has been already written or all the plots have been outlined. **

**Some of my plot points slightly contradict with the **_**Castle**_** universe, but none of the major ones (possibly just small side comments or remarks made during the show).**

**PLEASE REVIEW! It lets me know you love me. XD**

**Coming Soon:** _E is for Envelope_


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